Faryab women vendors seek proper place, market for their products

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): Some sales women associated with handicraft industry in north western Faryab province accused government for not addressing their problems and exploring market for their products.

The lack of proper place in the market and import of goods badly affected the local market of handicraft. As many as 200 women have established stalls on pedestrians to sell their products in Maimana, the provincial capital.

Bibi Shah, 60, says she has started selling handicraft products when she was nine years old hoping she would be able to accommodate her family from its profit.

“Over 200 women including widow have established stalls on the roadsides in Maimana. They have been suffering from the heat of son in summer and cold weather in winter,” she said.

“Since morning I sold nothing. I borrowed 10 afghanis from another woman to get bread,” said Bibi Shah.

She asked the government to construct a proper place for women vendors where they could be able to sell their handicraft products.

Sharifa Azeemi, Women Affairs Department director, said they often told the authorities concerned to construct a market for women where they could be able to sell their products.

She said the Women Affairs Department had no specific budget to construct market for women vendors.

Maimana City Mayor Eng. Ahmad Javed Kewan said they planned to include the construction of a market in next year budget.

He pledged the municipality would strive to economically and socially support women. He recalled the municipality earned first position in gender equality in the country.